Dog Names

The best dog names really say something about you and your dog. We have thousands of names to inspire you, but it can be hard to pick just one!

So we've also come up with some great tips to help you find an original and meaningful name for your dog. 

We've made it easy for you to search dog names by breed, color, and A-Z! Click on the links below to make your choice. 

You can search by your dog's size and other characteristics too. For example, if you aim to have a gentle giant sleeping by your hearth, you'll love our collection of 'big dog names'. 

You'll find collections based on country of origin, for example, and on the gender of your dog. Here are our most popular collections.

You'll find excerpts from more of our top dog name collections here, and you can scroll down for links to even more awesome dog name ideas.  

TIPS: How To Name Your Dog - Collecting Ideas  

Break your search down into collections based on a theme. This theme could be a sport or hobby that you love. It could be something from nature - flowers or trees for example. You could pick mountains, or oceans. Or towns and cities from exotic lands or favorite holiday destinations. 

For each collection write the theme in the middle of a big sheet of paper or a whiteboard, then write any associated words you can think of on the page. Some of those words can be discarded when you make your shortlist. Others will make great name ideas. 

You'll find loads of examples of this method in our name collections.  Here are some more to inspire you! 

Some of our most popular dog names collections are breed specific. You can click on the links below to find dog names by the breed of your choice.  

The Best Names For A Dog 

Naming a dog isn't always a straightforward task. Sometimes you have a firm idea in your head which is squashed by other members of the family, leaving you floundering. The best dog names are of course a matter of personal opinion. Fortunately there are a few general pointers we can begin with which tend to work as rules of thumb. 

• Choose a name with two syllables, or one
• Avoid similarity to other pets/family members
• Make sure the whole family likes the name
• Don't use words that might later be used as cues

Short names are easier to use as a recall and less likely to be abbreviated. Take care with funny names or joke names, the novelty can wear off and they might embarrass you later on. 

Dog Names By Breed 

Some of our most popular dog names collections are breed specific. You can click on the links below to find dog names by the breed of your choice.  

Dog Names A-Z 

Know which letter of the alphabet you want your pup's name to start with? Then check out our alphabetical list of dog names below  

Dog Names By Color

The color of your dog's coat is often a great place to find inspiration. Choose from the following: